Since my husband and I bought our home in 1998, we’ve slowly transformed the layout and finishes as time, bandwidth, and budget allowed. Most of the changes so far have been incremental enough that we’ve stayed put during renovations, but there are changes in the future that will absolutely send us packing until the dust settles, the paint cures, and the ink dries on the final inspection.

I have had more than a few clients who wanted to stay put during a big renovation and in every case, there was a minimum of ever-growing frustrations and, in one memorable instance, a complete meltdown that was damaging to the working relationship between the homeowner and contractor. I’ve never had a client say they were glad they stayed put, but I’ve heard many say they would never do it again.

I’ve never had a client say they were glad they stayed put, but I’ve heard many say they would never do it again.

Common sense says you should move out during a renovation. Typically, I’m the first to say the project will go smoother if you do. If there are pets and children involved, renovations make it hard to keep with normal routines. Putting your things in storage or into a rental house will protect them and make room for the crews to get their work done. For families where there are health concerns such as asthma, the construction dust alone is a legitimate risk factor. When you get down to it, moving out is generally the best choice. You’ll be happier setting up temporary digs far from the commotion.

So, when does it make sense to stay put?

If your project is isolated to spaces that are not highly important to daily functions, like guest rooms or secondary bathrooms, or spaces you’ve never really lived in yet, such as might be the case when finishing out a roughed in basement, it is fairly normal to stay at home. Even in these examples, there will be occasional inconveniences such as power shutoffs or early morning demo noise.

A painting project can usually be lived with, but make solid plans to ensure healthy air quality during and after the project. (Photo: depositphotos)

When staying put during a painting project, plan with your painter how to stage the work to best fit your schedule and know that your routine is going to be out of whack for a little while. During the project you’ll need a good ventilation and airing plan to reduce exposure to VOCs and HAPs, the gassing off from chemicals that can be harmful. Full house interior painting projects, when possible, are always best in clement weather, allowing for windows to be opened. Here is helpful advice for reducing off-gassing exposure before, during, and after your painting project.

While some clients have stayed put during a complete kitchen renovation, it is probably the hardest area to lose access to for several weeks. Even when the contractor plans and executes a tight schedule, it is not uncommon to be without your for several weeks. Demo usually happens fast, but other factors will make the kitchen renovation slow down. New cabinets can be on order for a month or longer before shipping and from templating to installation of countertops can take two weeks. That is a long time to feed your family out of a microwave in the garage.

When should I plan to evacuate?

Whenever there is significant demolition, such as walls coming down and/or flooring coming up in multiple spaces, you should move out of the house and take your belongings with you. This will make the work go more smoothly for the contractor and subs and assure that you, your family, and your possessions are safe from any environmental hazards posed by the tear out and subsequent construction. Also from a liability stand point, the people working in your home do not want to be responsible for your possessions.

Extensive demolition can make staying put a no-go. (Photo: depositphotos)

What if I really need to stay put during the project?

There are times when staying put is the only viable option. Maybe the budget for the project will simply be too stretched if you’re paying both mortgage and rent payments for several months, along with two moving fees. Other times, it is really hard to find a rental lease for such a short amount of time. Cost and hassle are usually the drivers that keep a homeowner in the house during a project, as there is no other logistical reason to set up camp in what will be a messy construction zone for weeks on end.

So let’s say you’re absolutely staying put. It is a small to medium scale renovation, it is not going to incapacitate majorly important spaces like the bathrooms for long periods of time, or your house luckily offers some good alternate functionality options, such as a fairly extensive wet bar in the basement that can act as a temporary kitchen. You are doing this.

How do I survive the project without losing my mind?

Planning, organization, and research will be essential to keeping the project flowing and assuring some peace of mind. Here are some concrete points you should plan on for a less uncomfortable renovation encampment:

Keep It Simple

Know that camping really will mean living simply, so be realistic. You should not anticipate life as normal and that means being willing to live with less. Most of your possessions should go into a storage pod or unit and what is left behind should be the bare minimum: air mattresses, a table and chairs for eating and tasking, perhaps a bit of light seating for relaxing. Lean into the idea of roughing it and be willing to live a bit like pioneers.

Clearly Separate The Living Spaces From The Work Zones

Phasing construction areas might mean relocating your hub a couple of times during the project.

Working with your design team and the contractor, determine which areas can be lived out of for the longest uninterrupted periods during the project. Phasing construction areas might mean relocating your hub a couple of times during the project. What you don’t want is to have to relocate too often or for extremely short periods of time.

Part of mapping out how to live with the work crews is determining what routes they will use to take out and bring in materials during demo and construction. Ideally, you will share as few common paths with the crews as possible to keep out of each other’s way, reduce the spread of construction debris into your living spaces, and protect kids and pets from harm.

Your contractor or site manager should make sure that heavy-duty plastic is installed at doorways or points along hallways to hold in as much of the project dust as possible. When demo might leave an area less safe, such as when windows are being replaced or floors taken up, the area should be shut off with more than plastic to keep small two- and four-legged explorers out.

Set House Rules

Make sure all parties understand when and how to access the house. If a common key is being kept in a safe spot, make sure it is put out in time for the first crew on site and that it is taken back inside each night. Make sure every subcontractor is aware of these protocols and post reminders to lock up the site per your agreement each and every day.

While trying to respect that people can make mistakes, it is nonetheless important to show that you are keeping a fair but sharp eye on whether or not your house rules are being respected.

Set and discuss realistic daily cleanup. Any workmen worth their salt will sweep up at the end of the day and make sure they are not leaving debris in your house of yard. Typically, subs will take most of their equipment back to their vehicle at the end of a shift, but if they ask to keep them in your house, make sure they have promised to leave them unplugged, safety-locked when applicable, and tucked out of path and sight. I suggest you take a quick tour each evening to make sure this is the case - we are all human, after all, and even a well-meaning pro might overlook a protocol once.

Expect some reasonable amount of order and cleanliness during your project, at least at the end of each work day. Good contractors will take pride in cleaning up after themselves. (Photo: depositphotos)

Ask for all worker’s schedules for a week at a time and know the first and last names and contact information for every person who comes and goes during the project. This heightens accountability all around and assures that you can reach anyone if a change of plans comes up that would impact their work schedule for your project.

Also, know the hierarchy of the crews coming and going and who the supervisor is for any given phase. You’ll want to know who to go to if questions arise or if protocols have been neglected. While trying to respect that people can make mistakes, it is nonetheless important to show that you are keeping a fair but sharp eye on whether or not your house rules are being respected. Once this starts to get murky, it is very hard to gain back the structure needed to keep things organized and in line with what you care about.

Be Kind To Yourself

Things are going to get messy and noisy. Sleeping schedules will likely be disturbed. It is easy to think that you have to postpone comfort until everything is finished, but your mental health will be far more sustained if you create some positive experiences despite the project. This might be creating a fun ritual that outlasts the project, like Friday night pizza parties by the light of oil lamps, or longer-than-usual walks around the neighborhood as a family just to carve out some time together without the work crews.

Give yourself an out when things really speed up and get hectic.

Give yourself an out when things really speed up and get hectic. You may have promised yourself you would sit tight until the bitter end, but deciding spontaneously that your family deserves a long weekend away at the beach might be just what you need to shake off the tension and reset yourself for the next leg of the renovation journey.

Know That You Will Probably Have To Leave At Some Point

No matter how well you plan to stay put, there will likely be more than one critical period where you absolutely need to leave the house for a time. This might be while flooring is being finished that gases off and makes air quality poor. It may be that a major change in plumbing or electrical will disrupt those functions for a few days.

When these instances occur, you need to have a plan for where to take the family. Are you going to rent a cabin in the mountains or visit some relatives who live a couple of hours away? It will be hard to plan this to the day at the beginning of your project, because schedules often shift in a renovation due to material backorders or weather-related delays, but have some general ideas worked out. Let that old friend or favorite cousin know you plan to crash with them at some point in the next couple of months.

Above All, Be Flexible

I have never seen a project go one hundred percent smoothly. Most experienced contractors avoid over-promising and try instead to manage expectations. Often subcontractors have multiple clients and a delay on another project can mean their work for you is pushed out further. Or when products arrive later than expected, the ripple effect can be surprisingly dramatic. You might even be the cause, deciding mid-project that you want to change or add to a work order.

It takes a sense of humor and an open mind to stay on site during a renovation.

Part of steeling yourself for this live-in project is knowing that your plans and schedules are the framework, but your ability to roll with the punches and quickly recalibrate is the grace that will help tamp down tempers and allow reason to prevail. It takes a sense of humor and an open mind to stay on site during a renovation. Remind yourself often why you are doing all of this, ground yourself in gratitude that you even have the fortune to improve your home, and - ruefully and not unkindly - be willing to admit that no one made you decide to stay put.

Finally, know that no matter how disruptive or hard to wrangle some of the details may be, advance planning, research, and organization will make things better. Your design and renovation team should be able to set realistic expectations, help you with the staging, and keep on top of the work and material orders so that you can focus on making your renovation camp as cozy, safe, and normal as possible until it is time to start the next chapter in your beautiful new spaces. If you’d like professional designer help with your renovation, get started here with our design survey.

By Paul Miller